By David Armstrong
Jack hated pollution. He went to great lengths to avoid pollution in his daily life. Jack tried to eliminate pollution in the food he ate, the water he drank, and even the air he breathed. What began as a general concern became something of an obsession.
He started out with a mild worry about air pollution. After all, the wintertime weather inversions were impossible to ignore as the smog closed in on the metropolitan area in which he lived. Individual vehicles were major contributors, but industrial pollution was also a factor. Jack changed up his daily commute from driving his old, gas-guzzling pickup truck to riding public transportation. The commute on the light rail and bus system added thirty minutes to his travel time each way, but he felt good about doing his part to reduce carbon monoxide pollution.
A friend sent him a link to an online article about water pollution. He learned that water pollution affected not only wildlife and ecosystems but was a major problem for human populations. Pollutants in the water system came from many sources, such as industrial discharge, agricultural runoff, untreated municipal wastewater, mining activities, and even atmospheric deposition, in which air pollutants were carried by rain water into bodies of water. Contaminated water could spread diseases like cholera, dysentery, and typhoid. Jack began to notice an increase in TV commercials about class-action lawsuits for the spread of cancers from polluted water. He bought a water filtration system for his home. When he left the house each day for work, he carried two 2-liter jugs of water filled from his home water system. Throughout the day, he drank water only from his jugs, which he brought home and sterilized each night.
Then, while he was channel surfing, he ran across a documentary about food contamination. Contaminates could enter the food chain at almost any point. Dangerous substances in food came from chemicals, microbes, biological toxins, packaging, and on and on. Jack started reading the ingredient labels on packages, many of which he couldn’t pronounce. He hadn’t paid much attention to food recalls, but now he heard about a product recall practically every week. He changed his shopping habits to avoid packaged and processed foods (oh, how he would miss his daily intake of Cheetos!) and buy only whole, organic vegetables, fruits, dairy products, and meats. He kicked his fast-food habit and started avoiding restaurants as much as possible.
These changes in Jack’s lifestyle were a start, but they did not completely allay his fears. As he learned more about the pollutions that bombarded modern society, he went to greater lengths. He sold his truck and bought a bicycle to get from his house to the train station every day. He dug a well on his property and turned off the city water supply to his house. He plowed up his backyard lawn and turned it into a vegetable garden.
As Jack learned about noise pollution, he got rid of his power mower, edger, and weedwhacker and bought a five-blade push-reel mower and hand clippers. Not only did he make less noise, but he further reduced his contributions to air pollution. He watched a program about light pollution and stopped turning on his porch light at night.
He bought a portable oxygen concentrator so that on particularly smoggy days he could don an oxygen mask and avoid inhaling the air pollutants while he rode his bike.
The day came when Jack’s boss was retiring. The office arranged for the retirement party at a nice restaurant downtown. Jack packed a small cooler with his homegrown food, filled a jug with well water, strapped on his oxygen mask, put a leg strap around his ankle to protect his pants from the greasy chain, and rode his bike to the restaurant. He walked through the door wearing his mask and toting the cooler in one hand and the water jug in the other, the leg strap still pinched around his right ankle.
The hostess stopped Jack at the reception desk. “May I help you, sir?”
“I’m here for Mr. Smith’s retirement party.”
The hostess frowned. “I’m sorry, sir, but I’m having a hard time hearing you through the mask.”
Jack set the cooler on the floor and pulled the mask away from his face. “I said I’m here for Mr. Smith’s retirement party.”
“Oh, yes.” The hostess smiled. “The party is gathering in the banquet room in the back. Are you the entertainment?”
Jack continued to hold the mask away from his mouth. “No, I’m just a co-worker of Mr. Smith.” Confusion caused his brow to furrow.
The young lady giggled as she looked Jack up and down. “I see. Well, what is in the cooler on the floor?”
“My dinner. I grow my own food, totally organic.” Jack grinned with satisfaction.
“And the jug under your arm?”
“Water from my well, certified contaminate free.” His grinned widened.
The young lady’s eyes widened as well. “And the oxygen mask? Will you be wearing that the whole evening?”
Jack shook his head. “Of course not. I can’t wear it while I’m eating.” He gave her a wink.
The hostess put her hands on her hips. “Well, I’m sorry, sir, but the restaurant policy is no outside food or drink. You cannot bring your cooler and water jug in here. You’ll have to leave them in your car.”
“Oh.” Jack frowned. “I didn’t drive a car. I rode my bike here.”
The hostess looked at Jack’s ankle. “Ah, that explains your ankle accessory. Still, you cannot bring your food and water into the restaurant.”
Bewilderment overtook Jack. “What am I supposed to do, then? I can’t eat and drink what you serve here. How do I know it’s safe?”
“Trust me, sir,” the hostess said. “We haven’t had a single case of food poisoning in all the time I’ve worked here.”
“And how long have you worked here?”
The hostess flashed a pert smile. “I’m finishing up my third week. But trust me, this is the best restaurant in town. You are perfectly safe here with us.”
Jack shook his head slowly. “I don’t know. It’s too risky. Carcinogens, typhoid, chemical fertilizers, hormones and antibiotics, recirculated air, chlorinated water… I can’t do it.”
The hostess moved around behind the reception desk. “I’m sorry, sir.”
Jack picked up the cooler. “But I hate to miss the party.”
The young lady forced a smile. “You wouldn’t have to, if you’d be more reasonable.”
Jack leveled his gaze at her. “I wouldn’t have to, if you’d be more reasonable.”
“But I’m not the one carrying around my own jug and cooler, wearing an oxygen mask, with an ankle strap around my leg.” She smirked.
Jack turned and trudged out the door. “It’s just too risky,” he muttered to himself as he mounted his bike to ride home.
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
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